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10
For the Year ending March 25th, 1866
£.
s.
d.
Fulham
1675
3
9¾
Hammersmith .
1302
10
7
House
934
9
11¾
£3912
4
4½
The energies of your Board must therefore still be actively directed to a
further extension of the Sewerage and to .1 considerable extension of the
Water Mains throughout your district, with an unscrupulous watchfulness
over speculative building. The passing of an Amended Law relating to
Public Health in 18GG must be regarded as of much importance. Considerably
enlarged powers have been given to the Authorities, and though many
deficiencies still exist yet many useful clauses have been introduced.
The Act is divided into three parts with regard to England:—1. An
Amendment of the Sewage Utilization Act 1865. 2. An Amendment of the
Nuisance Removal Act; and 3, relates to miscellaneous proceedings.
Part 1 is devoted principally to clauses affecting the application of the
Sewage Utilization Act generally through the Country, shewing who are the
Sewer Authorities for carrying out its provisions, and providing for the formrtion
of Sewer Districts where none exist.
It is impossible to overrate the importance of this Act to the Metropolis,
if rivers arc still to form the chief souive of our Water Supply. The pollution
by the Sewage of many considerable Towns of the water of the Thames, the
Coltie, the Lea, and several other Metropolitan Rivers with their tributaries,
has become a grave and serious drawback to a pure supply, and whilst London
itself had spent its millions to accomplish the diversion of its filth the benefit
appeared likely to be neutralized by the increasing communities above.
Part 2 considerably enlarges the Powers conferred by the Nuisances
Removal Act of 1855, and defines what is meant in future by the words
"Nuisance," and "Nuisance Authority." Here power is also given to the
Police under certain restrictions to execute the provisions of the Nuisances
Removal Act in default of the proper Nuisance Authority.
The like action is given to any ten inhabitants of a place under requisition
for the purposes of the 27th section of the Nuisances Removal Act
relating to noxious trades.
Clause 19 is that which specially defines what is meant by a nuisance.
In the subsequent sections of this part power is given to the Local Authorities
for enforcing the cleansing of infected houses, for providing the means
and apparatus for disinfection, for providing carriages for the conveyance of
persons suffering from infectious diseases, and for the prevention of the use of
Public Carriages for this purpose without due precaution.
Power also is given in them to the Local Authorities to provide Hospital
accommodation, and for the removal thereto of infected persons, and also for
the provision of Public Mortuaries.
The want of some public receptacle for the dead from infectious diseases
has always been a crying want of the Fulham District The necessities of